MPs make plea to FA over Fifa 'sham' reform fears

British MPs are urging the English, Scottish and Welsh Football Associations to help stop the internal reform of Fifa from becoming a "sham".

A leading member of Fifa's Independent Governance Committee (IGC), Alexandra Wrage, said the reform process had been
"neutered"
after several measures were rejected by the world governing body.

These measures included toughening up the process for deciding
how future World Cups are awarded
and disclosing how much Fifa president Sepp Blatter and other leading executives are paid.

Following Wrage's complaints, representatives from the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties have requested that the English, Scottish and Welsh FAs ensure some of the IGC's rejected proposals are discussed at Fifa's annual congress in May.

The deadline for national associations to add items to the agenda for the annual congress - where governance proposals are debated and voted on by all 209 member countries - is Saturday, 30 March.

Damian Collins and Alun Cairns (Conservative), Jim Sheridan (Labour) and Adrian Sanders (Liberal Democrats) are the MPs who have made the requests. They have been joined by Conservative MEP Emma McClarkin.

What the MPs want:

• Independent checks which address credible allegations, not just convictions, against all Fifa officials.

• Independent observers to observe Fifa executive committee meetings.

• Transparency for compensation and benefits, and the establishment of an committee to audit this.

• Re-design the bidding and decision process for World Cup host decisions, as well as for development projects and marketing and procurement activities.

In a letter to David Bernstein, the chairman of the English FA, Collins says he is "greatly concerned" that the IGC's recommendations do not look like being discussed at congress.

He urges Bernstein, who is due to stand down from the FA later this year, to follow up the "courageous stand" he took in 2011 when he spoke out against the unopposed re-election of Fifa president Sepp Blatter.

In his letter to FA chairman, Collins writes: "This was supposed to be the moment when Fifa embraced the need for greater transparency in its financial affairs and key decision-making processes.

"Instead the impression has been created that Sepp Blatter and the Fifa executive committee have no serious commitment to reform, and that the whole process has been a sham.

"According to Fifa statutes, any member may make a request for an item to be included on the agenda for the Congress, and I would like to ask if the FA would submit a proposal for the four key recommendations for reform recently presented by the Independent Governance Committee to be debated and voted on."

The letter says there should be "greater independent scrutiny of the work of the executive committee" and in particular of the decision on where should host World Cups.

In addition, it say members of the executive committee should disclose their salary and benefits, as well as declaring other financial interests.

Collins adds: "These issues are of real concern to football fans around the world. To many the Fifa executive committee look like a group of hard-faced men who have done very well out of football."

Share this story

Comments

MP's need to have a go at the FA and Football League as the same time. They are just as inept as FIFA, letting clubs go into debt and do nothing but as soon as they go into admin insist they pay footy creditors first.The FA and League stood by while this happens so why should football be protected when they are incompetent.Platini's a joke, he says footy can't afford technology but cricket can?

I have been told by the B.B.C. that my comment no 113. was removed for potential defamatory remarks, How is calling the polititians , the F.A. and F.I.F.A. incompetent and corrupt anything but the truth ? Has the B.B.C. joined the club ?

This MP's son, Laurent, now works for a company called QSI, seconded for the running of a club in the French capital.Coincidently the "Q" is for a Middle Eastern country. "S&I" are for Sports International.Allegedly MP has denied any allegations regarding this appointment.DB has no comment, either

A certain MP who works for FIFA "changed his mind on his vote" after lunch with his President and someone from Middle Eastern Royalty.This Royalty then paid a small sum for a certain club in Paris, £40K, and created a Sports Channel to rival Canal+, who the (then) President despised.This Middle Eastern Country then became hosts of a future WC.Coincidence+Irony, eh?

Asking EUFA and FIFA to reform and put their house in order is a bit like turkeys voting for Christmas, it will never happen as long as these organisation's tournaments play to full grounds every time and tickets for the respective finals change hands for thousands of pounds

I cannot believe that good upstanding members of FIFA could ever have this mud-slinging allegation thrown at them.Allegations have been abound from the FA-EUFA-FIFA, so if true, it starts from home.Sarkozy-Platini-Qatari-PSG. Try typing that in.It must be fair and above board.......

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.